[Hyderabad Encounter] Supreme Court rejects request by Telangana to keep inquiry report in sealed cover; sends case to HC for further action

The Supreme Court on Friday took on record the report submitted by the court appointed commission to probe the alleged encounter killing of four rape accused men in Hyderabad in December 2019..A bench of Chief Justice of India (CJI) NV Ramana and Justice Hima Kohli rejected the request by the State government to keep the report in sealed cover and ordered that copies of the report be furnished to all parties to the case. It then directed that all records be sent to the Telangana High Court which will take a call on further course of action based on the report and submissions by parties. "We direct commission to furnish soft copies of report to both sides and Parties are at liberty to make submissions. High Court to take a call after considering submissions. All records sent to High Court," the apex court ordered..On December 12, 2019, a Bench headed by then CJI SA Bobde had set up the inquiry panel after hearing a petition filed by two advocates - GS Mani and Pradeep Kumar Yadav - seeking an independent investigation into the alleged fake encounter killing of four men accused of raping and murdering a 26-year-old veterinarian in Hyderabad last November.The panel is headed by former Supreme Court judge, Justice VS Sirpurkar. The other members are former Judge of the Bombay High Court, Justice Rekha Baldota and former Director of the Central Bureau of Investigation, DR Karthikeyan.The commission had earlier been granted additional time to complete the probe after COVID-19 had hampered its functioning. .When the matter was taken up today, CJI Ramana confirmed that the panel has submitted its report. Senior Counsel Shyam Divan, appearing for Telangana, requested the Court to keep the report in sealed cover but the CJI disagreed. "There is nothing confidential. Someone has been found guilty and now State has to look into this," the CJI said. "Please keep the report re-sealed. If it is unsealed it will have impact on administration of justice," Divan urged. ."What is the point of enquiry if the report is not given (to other side)," the CJI asked."It has happened earlier. Justice AK Patnaik had in a case worked on a report and submitted in sealed cover," Divan said. "Once report is there it has to be disclosed," the CJI maintained.The Court then proceeded to pass an order to that effect. .Read more about inquiry report here. .[Read Order].[Read Inquiry Report]